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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-27 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Cubilux 3.5mm biggest strength: A passive analog volume wheel that lets you fine-tune loudness on any 3.5mm earphone, headphone or speaker — including trimming volume down low enough for sleep listening.
• Cubilux 3.5mm biggest trade-off: It is an accessory cable, not a headset. It does not amplify sound and it does not adjust microphone volume.
• APETOO USB C Headphones biggest strength: An all-in-one wired USB-C earphone with a digital DAC chip, an in-line mic, button volume control and soft silicone tips that isolate ambient noise.
• APETOO USB C Headphones biggest trade-off: It only works with devices that have a USB-C audio port, and some laptops and iPhones need a quick settings or re-plug step before sound comes through.
• Pick Cubilux 3.5mm if you already own 3.5mm gear and just want a physical volume dial in the cable.
• Pick APETOO USB C Headphones if your phone or tablet dropped the headphone jack and you want one cable that does everything.
The Cubilux 3.5mm is a 4-foot male-to-female analog volume attenuator cable. You plug the male end into your phone, laptop or player, plug your existing earphones or speaker into the female end, and you get a stepless volume wheel sitting right there in the cable. "Stepless" is the important word — there are no clicks or fixed steps, so you can nudge the level to exactly where you want it. The manufacturer's own example is a good one: turning headphones down just enough that you can fall asleep with them on.
Inside, it uses oxygen-free copper wiring and a gold-plated connector, and Cubilux claims that combination keeps the original music quality intact without added static or loss. That is the whole point of a passive design — it is not processing your audio or re-encoding it, it is just resisting the signal. Two limits are worth knowing before you buy. First, it does not amplify. This cable can only bring volume down, never up. If your source is already quiet, Cubilux will not help. Second, it passes the microphone signal through but does not control mic volume — it is for the audio output only. Cubilux also notes it is compatible with a headphone amplifier but not a speaker amplifier.
Who should buy it: anyone with a 3.5mm jack who wants a tactile volume wheel instead of reaching for the phone — late-night listeners, people who share a speaker and want a quick physical fader, and anyone whose headphones have a digital button remote they want to fine-tune further. The passive design works alongside those in-line digital controls rather than replacing them.
APETOO USB C Headphones: Who It's For
The APETOO USB C Headphones are a finished wired in-ear headset rather than an accessory. The connector is USB Type C, and inside the housing there is a digital DAC chip that converts the digital signal from your phone, tablet or laptop into analog audio. APETOO describes the result as high-fidelity stereo with no loss, and the 32-ohm dynamic drivers cover a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range — the standard full-band span for everyday listening.
The ear tips are soft silicone in an oval shape, and the isolation comes from the seal rather than any active circuitry; APETOO lists the noise control as sound isolation. You get the headset in Sky-Grey, plus a mini zipper storage case and two extra pairs of ear tips in small and large alongside the fitted medium pair. On the cable there is an in-line remote with a microphone and button-based volume control, so you can take calls and change level without touching the phone.
Compatibility is the headline feature here, and it is genuinely broad: iPhone 15 and later including the 16 and 17 families, most recent Samsung Galaxy S and Note models plus the A-series, Z Flip and Z Fold lines, Google Pixel, iPad Pro and Air, MacBook Air and Pro, OnePlus, Motorola and more — but in every case only devices with a USB-C audio port. APETOO is upfront about the quirks: on a Mac you may need to select "USB" under Settings → Sound → Output, and if the earbuds stay silent after that, unplugging and flipping the plug usually fixes it. On iPhone 15/16/17 models you may need to pick "Headphones" the first time.
Who should buy it: anyone whose current phone or tablet has no headphone jack, students and commuters who want one wire for music and calls, and buyers who want spare tips and a case in the box instead of buying them later.
Who should skip it: anyone still carrying a 3.5mm-only player, and anyone who wants a passive dial they can feather by hand — this is a button-based remote, not a stepless wheel.
• Best for in-line volume control on existing gear → Cubilux 3.5mm. The stepless wheel is the entire product.
• Best for one-cable simplicity → APETOO USB C Headphones. Headphones, mic, remote and tips all arrive together.
• Best for USB-C-only phones → APETOO USB C Headphones. Cubilux needs a 3.5mm jack to do anything.
• Best for sleep and late-night listening → Cubilux 3.5mm. Cubilux specifically calls out dialing volume down to a comfortable sleep level.
• Best for calls and voice chat → APETOO USB C Headphones. It has a real microphone and button controls; Cubilux passes mic audio but cannot adjust it.
• Best for passive, uncolored signal path → Cubilux 3.5mm. Oxygen-free copper and a gold-plated connector, no DAC in the chain.
• Best for ambient noise → APETOO USB C Headphones. The silicone seal isolates surrounding sound in a way an attenuator cable cannot.
• Best for travel kit → APETOO USB C Headphones. Case plus three tip sizes make it the more self-contained purchase.
One thing neither product does: boost volume. Cubilux states plainly that it will not amplify, and APETOO's output depends entirely on your device's own level.
In my opinion, the deciding question is whether you already own headphones you like. If you do, and they have a 3.5mm plug, I would buy the Cubilux 3.5mm — a passive stepless wheel is a small, honest upgrade that fixes the single most annoying thing about wired listening, which is never being able to hit the right volume. If you are starting from nothing, or your phone has no headphone jack, I would buy the APETOO USB C Headphones instead, because it solves the whole problem at once: sound, mic, controls, spare tips and a case. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever one matches your setup before deciding.
FAQ
how to disable volume control on wired headphones
do earbuds have volume control
Some do, some don't. The APETOO USB C Headphones have an in-line remote with button volume control plus a microphone, so yes in that case. Plenty of basic earbuds have no controls at all on the cable, which is exactly the gap a passive volume cable like the Cubilux is meant to fill.
No. Cubilux states clearly that the cable does not amplify sound and will not boost volume. It is an attenuator — it can only reduce the level reaching your headphones or speaker, never raise it above what your device already outputs.
Yes, as long as the device has a USB-C audio port. On a Mac you may need to select "USB" under Settings → Sound → Output, and on iPhone 15/16/17 models you may need to choose "Headphones" the first time. If there is no sound, unplugging and flipping the connector usually resolves it.
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